


How to Ruin a Fashion Mogul

by peterparkerpanic



Series: the golden trio solve crime [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Awesome Nino Lahiffe, Badass Nino Lahiffe, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting, Golden Trio, Hurt/Comfort, Nino Lahiffe Is So Done, Nino Lahiffe Ships It, amazing le chien kim, kim mari and nino are bros, takedown gabriel agreste
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23465410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peterparkerpanic/pseuds/peterparkerpanic
Summary: Nino was really starting to get good at this. His childhood friend was threatened by a manipulative liar? No problem.She was Ladybug? Piece of cake.And now his best friend was stuck in a toxic household with a neglectful father?He didn't know what his friends did to deserve this - but he was sure as hell going to fix it.Or: gabriel agreste is going down, y'all
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Lê Chiến Kim, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Lê Chiến Kim, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Lê Chiến Kim & Nino Lahiffe, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nino Lahiffe
Series: the golden trio solve crime [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1639738
Comments: 164
Kudos: 1538





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO!!! I was not expecting to get this out today, if I'm being honest, but I had a wonderful moment of enlightenment in which I got the plan down for this entire fic! So, you'll get it about as fast as I can write it (inbetween all my lazing around, baking and watching TV of course.) This chapter is a little short - but it paves the way for several monster-chapters later!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (Also, if you haven't read [Revenge](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22808515/chapters/54507838) and [The Sleepover](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23316400), I highly suggest checking those out, or this might not make much sense :) )

Nino Lahiffe wasn’t usually one to brag, but there were many ways in which he could spend his Saturday afternoon. A few weeks ago, primarily, it was spent on dates with his girlfriend – or perhaps he’d babysit, or go and see a movie, or go ice skating, or something.

But for the past three hours, he’d been cooped up in Kim’s bedroom, with Mar and Kim, researching every law there was regarding a child’s rights.

“I don’t know what any of this _means,”_ Marinette groaned, head planting onto her arms in front of her laptop. “So many words… why does it have to sound so official?”

From the bed, Kim was in the same position, eyes glazing over as he scrolled through whatever online resources he could find. “The child labour stuff…” he began, words morphing into a yawn. “It’s complicated. Because Adrien was technically in the entertainment industry, I’m pretty sure he just needed consent from his legal guardian – and that’s his dad. No breaking the law there.”

“What about hours worked?” Nino said. “In Britain, there’s a law that minors are only allowed to work certain numbers of hours a day. Adrien’s worked himself ragged before, right? He has to have violated that at least once.”

Marinette propped her head up with one of her hands, looking over to Nino, who was occupying a bean bag, laptop resting on his knees. “And what have you found?” She asked, eyes still closed.

“Actually,” Nino began, “I found the laws surrounding moving out. Adrien isn’t 18 for, like, 9 months – and you have to be 18. But you can be an ‘emancipe’, which means with your guardian’s consent, you can live alone. We just need to sort out how to remove Gabriel as Adrien’s guardian.”

“How do we do that?” Marinette asked.

Nino shrugged. “That’s what you’re supposed to be looking up!”

The plate that once held the apple slices that Kim’s mum had provided was now empty. Nino sighed, watching it. He could have been out having lunch in the park or something right now.

“Alright, I’m switching focus,” Marinette declared, typing into her computer. “If Gabriel’s such a horrible person – surely some of his past employees have complained.”

“Yeah, like how Ellen’s supposed to be horrible in real life,” Kim commented.

“Ellen?” Nino asked. “Who’s that?”

Kim shrugged. “This American TV Show host, or something.”

“Alright,” Marinette picked the laptop off the desk and twirled her chair around so she was facing the other two boys. “I’ve got it.”

Nino looked up at her. “Well?” He asked.

Kim looked to the plate, where there were no apple slices left. “There’s no more apple?” He asked.

“Shut up, Kim. I’m doing legit stuff,” Marinette said. “Okay; the general consensus is that he’s really strict. But he pays well, and the benefits, and hours are fair. Isn’t that like any prestigious company, though?”

“How are we supposed to know?” Nino asked. “We don’t have proper jobs. I DJ for the school.”

Kim rolled onto his back. “I’m a lifeguard,” he said casually. “It actually pays pretty well. I think it’s because I had to go through a bunch of training for it.”

“Focus, guys!” Marinette said. “The point is, nobody’s been treated so badly that they’ve publicly spoken out about it – so we don’t have anything there, either.” She sighed. “What else can we do?”

“You’re forgetting we literally have Adrien himself – the child that Gabriel has neglected for seventeen years,” Kim said. “We got this, Mari. We have Nino Lahiffe on our side – lawyer-to-be extraordinaire.”

Nino scoffed. “Whatever. Continue your research. We need to find out whether we can get Adrien emancipated.”

* * *

Walking Marinette to school had become a staple in Nino’s routine surprisingly quickly. He’d begin each day earlier, excited at the prospect of the free pastry – and usually, he’d have to wake Marinette up before he got to enjoy it. On the days where she was already up, the two of them ate as they walked to the school, before usually splitting up to speak to others.

Nino knew they weren’t suddenly going to replace every other friend, and become ‘the golden trio’ again, but he’d expected to see them more around school. They hung out more after hours, sure – but after they’d suddenly made such a large re-entrance into his life, it was weird to see Kim skateboarding with Alix – or Marinette speaking with Kagami – and merely wave in greeting, instead of going over and ‘hanging out.’

Marinette had recently taken up to talking with Alya again – something nobody had really noticed that she’d excluded from her routine when Lila was around. Nino an Alya were… weird. They could smile and be civil, even cracking jokes around one another – but put them into a situation where they had to converse one-on-one and it was usually Nino that tensed up. He wanted to forgive her – but it felt that, in the revelation, their relationship had taken five steps backwards. It was like she was somebody that he loved, but didn’t really know. And he wanted to fix it; he just didn’t know how. But Marinette and Alya were never really estranged. Sure, they’d had their disagreements, but Marinette couldn’t hold much anger in her tiny body (that space was reserved for Ladybug’s super-strength), and forgiveness came easily to her. Now, they were almost back to the way they were.

Adrien’s car pulled out, the boy himself stepping out and walking over to Nino. The two hugged, before Adrien turned to wave goodbye as the car drove off.

“Morning, dude,” Nino said, smiling. “How are you?”

Adrien yawned. “Tired. The akuma attack was _right_ outside my house – horrible stuff. I’ve been up since five.”

Nino pulled a face in sympathy. “Hey,” he probed. “Has your old man ever made you get up super early for a photoshoot or something?”

Adrien shrugged. “Nathalie’s very particular about the law – and which hours I’m allowed to work in it. So never before 6, I think. Doesn’t mean I’m not up getting ready before 6, though. The ‘work hours’ officially start when the shooting does – so usually we get there an hour or two before.”

A frown pulled Nino’s lips downwards. Interesting. Could they prove that in court?

Adrien’s eyes were darting around the steps, casually looking for something – or some _one._ “Looking for Marinette?” Nino asked.

The pink tint of Adrien’s ears told him everything he needed to know. That was Adrien’s ‘tell’ – and it was always super obvious.

“Don’t worry dude, she already went inside with Alya,” he patted the blonde on the back.

“I- I wasn’t worried!” Adrien responded. “Nope! I was just… curious.”

Nino laughed. Yeah, right. Curious.

But Adrien… blushing. That was interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Comments? And don't forget kudos, if you enjoyed!
> 
> Also, I would like to know - would you guys prefer if I kept it in lots of short chapters, or only a few bigger chapters (a lot bigger than this one - this is what I consider a 'small update.') As a reader, I always loved long chapters - but I'm open to change, if you'd prefer more, shorter chapters!
> 
> And once again, thank you so much for reading!!! :)))


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> howdy hope y'all's quarantine is going well, here is another chapter and a wish that you're able to stay safe and healthy

“Alright, so here’s the deal.” Marinette sunk into Kim’s beanbag chair, crossing her arms as she stared directly at Adrien. “If you want to be initiated into the golden trio, you’ve gotta learn the rules.”

Adrien’s eyes narrowed. “But I never said I wanted to be a part of…”

“Nu-uh!” Marinette held out a finger to silence him. Obediently, Adrien’s mouth closed. From behind him, Kim snorted.

“When we said we were hooking them up, this is _not_ what I expected,” Kim whispered to Nino. Both were safe from Marinette’s wrath on the bed – Adrien, unfortunately, was seated on the floor in front of Marinette.

“Rule number one!” Marinette began. “We have dinner at each other’s houses on a Sunday afternoon every two weeks. These are mandatory.”

“My father-“ Adrien interrupted.

“Adrien, I swear to god, I will call up Nathalie and threaten her. _Mandatory.”_ Marinette’s eyes narrowed. “Also, stop interrupting me.”

“Okay,” Adrien whispered.

“Rule number two!” She said loudly. “We are always available for ‘saves.’ We use the three-code rule.”

“The three-code rule?”

Marinette nodded enthusiastically. “Code 3 is something you can handle, but may want help with. Code two is something moderate that required assistance, but not immediately. And a code one is like an SOS. Being available means being aware of these at all times, and ready to assist your fellow trio members.”

Adrien nodded. “I got it. Any more rules?”

Marinette’s eyebrows drew together. “Not that I can think of. Boys?”

The bed bounced slightly as Kim stood up, taking a seat in another bean bag chair. “Don’t fuck with each other’s hair,” he said seriously. “This quiff may look cute, but it takes a half hour at least, every morning. I will murder you if you touch it.”

Adrien chuckled. “Noted. So… am I part of the group?”

“Well, if you’re part of it, it isn’t really a trio…” Marinette trailed off. “We need a new name!”

“Like what?” Asked Nino, joining the group on the floor and leaning his back on Marinette’s beanbag. “And don’t say ‘Fab Four.’ That’s basic.”

“But there are no other words that begin with ‘f’,” said Marinette. “Can’t we just be the golden four?”

Kim groaned. “Whatever. Moving on to more important business.” He clapped his hands twice. “I propose an extension of the three-code rules. Three levels of comfort. Codes, when we’ve used them, have been something to talk about – but what if we need an out right there?”

“What are you suggesting?” Asked Nino.

“Okay, so how about we keep it the way it is – 3 is bearable, 2 is need an out but not at this moment, 1 is cannot bear this for another second. You just hold up the number of fingers. And we’ll know exactly what you mean, so we can help.”

Everyone seemed to nod collectively. It sure as hell _seemed_ like a good idea. “Wow, Kim,” Nino chuckled. “That was really smart. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

Kim leant over to punch Nino’s knee softly. “Shut up,” he rolled his eyes.

“Wait,” said Adrien. “But don’t most people feel like a ‘3’ most of the time?”

At that, it was if the room shifted. A deep ache re-awakened itself in the depths of Nino’s chest. It had never been directed at Adrien before, though.

“No,” Marinette was the first to find the words to answer him, hand reaching out to take one of his delicately. “You should be able to rest. If you’re always on edge, even if it’s become normal for you, you’ll burn out.”

Nino frowned. “How do you feel now?”

“Fine,” Adrien said, hastily. “Thumbs up. Not on edge at all.” His eyes darted from Nino, to Marinette’s hand, to Nino again. The tips of his ears were red.

Interesting.

Kim cleared his throat, and, as if having gained her senses again, Marinette pulled her hand from Adrien’s settling back into the beanbag chair and half-wrapping her arms around herself. “So, where do you feel like a 3?” He asked.

Shrugging, Adrien’s eyes dropped to the floor, where his fingers were deftly tracing on the thick carpet, fiddling with the blue strands. “At home, mostly. Sometimes at school. When I’m around… people.”

“People like your father?” Nino couldn’t help but blurt. Kim elbowed him softly, but he pushed his arm away, watching Adrien. He just shrugged again, fiddling deftly.

“Okay, well, where else do you feel like that? Around us?” Kim asked. Adrien’s gaze flew up, eyes widening slightly.

“No! Not with you guys, never with you guys,” he was quick to reassure.

Kim nodded. “So… if you are around these _people,_ would being around us help?”

He nodded, after a moment’s hesitation. “I think so.”

Nino wanted to move to say something – his body must have tensed up or something, because Marinette placed a hand on his shoulder from her position behind him, almost massaging. He pulled back. What would he have said, anyway?

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s getting dark,” Kim frowned. “You guys are all walking home, right?”

“Already?” Marinette moved to look at the window – true to Kim’s words, the sun was starting to get harsher with its light as it began to skim the horizon. “Okay. We’ll talk tomorrow, though?”

“You bet,” Kim chuckled. “Now get out. I have homework.”

Marinette let out an exaggerated groan as she got up, stretching and popping a bone in her arm. Nino stood too, offering a hand to Adrien, who accepted gratefully.

“Hey, man,” Nino began. “If you ever feel… like that, you can always call. Not even me, if you don’t feel comfortable. Facetime Mari, or something.”

Adrien nodded, a brief smile coming to his face. “Thank you, Nino.”

With a swift pat on the back, Nino moved to grab his school bag. He watched as Marinette hugged each person, before saying goodbye.

With the walking to school, Nino had gotten weirdly used to walking Marinette home, because his house was pretty near anyway, and he liked the company. From Kim’s house, the bakery was a slight detour, but the Parisian air was always very calming. Besides, he had something he wanted to talk about.

Nino waited until they’d walked around a corner, putting Kim’s house out of his sight, before he started talking.

“So…” he started, adjusting the backpack on one of his shoulders. “How do you feel about Adrien?”

Marinette seemed to trip on thin air, prompting Nino to place a worried hand on her forearm for support. “I’m fine,” she said, “it’s just… What?”

“You heard me,” Nino said. “What are your feelings towards him?”

“I – I thought we talked about that at the sleepover.”

“Barely,” Nino said. “Come on – you have a crush on him, right?”

“Well, yeah,” one of her hands came up to touch her lip slightly. “I mean, I don’t see myself ever _losing_ feelings for him, per se – it’s just, I can’t confess, and I’m working on trying to be friends with him. He needs support right now, not a girlfriend. _And,”_ she chuckled deprecatingly, “I’m kind of busy with a lot of stuff at the moment.”

“Like what?” Nino prompted. “Anything I can help with?”

“No,” she said wistfully. “Just the normal stuff. Class presidency, therapy, design stuff…”

“…saving Paris,” Nino added.

This time, there was a slightly extended delay on Marinette’s reaction. She hummed, as if in agreement, before choking on nothing a minute later, and having to stop walking to catch her breath and pound on her chest a couple times. “Excuse me?” She asked, after a moment.

Nino shrugged. “I get it, Mari. Ladybug duties are _very_ time consuming.”

“How did you- I’m not- Ladybug isn’t- How?” She wound up asking. Nino smiled.

“I found out at the sleepover. The akuma attack?” He said. Marinette’s eyebrows drew together.

“But I was so careful!” She said. “I checked you were sleeping, and I was literally silent!”

“You left the window open,” Nino informed.

“If I didn’t, I would have locked myself out.”

“Yeah, but I woke up because I was cold.”

“But you were asleep!”

“But I’m anaemic, so I get _really_ cold! I’m sorry, Mari,” at this point, Nino was chuckling softly at Marinette’s look of half-frustration. Eventually, she blew out a long breath, turning to him and stopping walking.

“I always wanted to tell Chat Noir first,” she said earnestly, “but I trust you. Just… don’t go around telling everyone.”

Nino nodded. “Cross my heart.”

“Good.”

The pair continued walking. The sun had dropped halfway below the horizon now, and the streetlamps were beginning to flicker a soothing pink. The orange from the sun cast long, dark shadows on the roads. Although there was the occasional car, Paris was quiet.

“So… how do you feel about Chat Noir?”

Marinette let out a sudden groan, hands flying to her cheeks and hitting them softly. “That one’s complicated,” she said, words coming out funny due to her smushed cheeks.

Nino remained silent, prompting a response. He had the time.

“Well… at first, I thought – I _knew_ – I loved him. But, not like in the way I love Adrien. I love him like a brother. Like you,” she said coyly, bumping her shoulder softly into his arm as they walked. “But recently… I don’t know. You know how I said he’s been visiting my balcony when I’m me?” Nino nodded. “Well… it’s like he’s a completely different person. So _earnest,_ and funny, and sweet – and he only flirts with Ladybug. I thought that was a joke, too, but now I’m just… ugh!”

Nino laughed sympathetically again as they reached the bakery. Marinette paused, turning so she could look at him. “It’s complicated, basically,” she concluded.

He nodded. “Well, you can talk to me about anything now – literally, anything.”

This provoked a genuine laugh from Marinette. It settled into a soft smile. “I know. Thank you.”

“For what?” He asked.

“For being my friend.”

“Anytime,” Nino nodded. “Oh – speaking of friends…”

Marinette, who had been in the process of inserting her key into the door, turned her head to him, face open and inquisitive. “I think you should tell Kim,” Nino said. “Dude’s a blabbermouth, and as much as I’m good at secrets, I’m not good at lying – now I know you’re off being all badass with akumas, I won’t be able to cover for you convincingly.”

Marinette nodded, nose scrunching up slightly. “I’ll think about it,” she said, opening the door. “Night, Nino.”

“Night, Marinette.”

With a departing smile, she disappeared, door shutting softly behind her.

Tilting his head up, Nino inhaled, letting out all the air in his lungs, slowly, before he moved along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading! also, come bother me on [tumblr](https://marichat-lovesquare.tumblr.com/)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woot woot the update train is here and bestows gifts upon you all

The akuma attack alert let Nino know he’d be walking to school alone that morning before Marinette’s text did. She’d sent it hastily – no punctuation, and more than a few typos – but she’d still managed to cram about 10 ‘x’s into it, too.

It put a smile on Nino’s face – even as he responded with a ‘stay safe’ that he knew she wouldn’t see until after the battle. Even as she flew past him on his route, chasing whatever akuma it was that time. Even as he showed up at school and realized, thanks to the growling of his stomach, he’d missed breakfast – so used to the routine of grabbing something with Marinette.

Kim was sitting on the steps with Max when he arrived, and his eyes strayed to Nino for a second, and then back to Max. After a few moments, Nino could almost see the boy’s mind working behind his eyes as he slowly turned back to Nino, eyebrows drawn into a single line, separated only by a familiar crease in Kim’s forehead. He excused himself from Max (and Markov), springing up and walking casually over to Nino, hands finding their way into his pockets.

“Morning,” he said with an easy smile. “No Marinette?”

“Nah,” Nino said, taking off his cap. “She wasn’t even up when I got there, and the bakery was empty – it would’ve been awkward to wait with just her parents, you know? I’d have had to make conversation.”

Kim’s eyes tracked Nino’s movements as he ran his hands through his hair several times, before placing the cap back on. “Right,” he said, nodding slightly. Although his words sounded like he was suspicious of something, Kim decided not to press on the subject. “Hope she makes it in on time,”

Nino let out a breath in amusement, allowing himself to smile naturally. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Wouldn’t count on it, somehow.”

At that moment, Adrien showed up, stepping out of his car and sending a short wave to the Gorilla as he drove away. “Morning,” Adrien greeted, before letting out a long yawn.

“Bad sleep?” Nino asked.

“Up early,” he responded. “The akuma alert woke me, and I couldn’t get back to sleep.”

Kim scrunched his nose in sympathy. “Maybe you can get a nap in History. Our teacher never seems to care when I do it.”

Adrien shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know if she likes me – the school might call my father.” He looked around, eyes landing on Nino. “Where’s Marinette?”

“Here!” The girl’s voice called from behind Nino, and he turned to see Marinette, half panting. “Sorry, I slept in,” she said, walking up to the group. In her hands, there was a box – definitely of pastries. She looked over at Nino, and followed his gaze back to the box. “Hungry?”

Nino shrugged. “I missed breakfast.”

“Lucky you, then,” she laughed softly, opening the box. “Pain au Chocolat for Kim, Cheese Danish for Nino, and Croissant for Adrien.” Marinette handed out all the pastries, and the three boys thanked her. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing,” Nino informed, taking a bite out of the pastry and smiling at Mari in thanks. She nodded. “Have you eaten?”

“I had a breakfast bar in the bakery,” she said. “I’m all good.”

Kim’s eyes narrowed slightly suspiciously. “Is that enough, though?”

Marinette shrugs. “I have an apple in my bag if I get hungry. Usually I just don’t eat much in the mornings, though.”

“Like, ever?” Nino asked.

Marinette laughed, slightly awkwardly. “Guys, I’m fine, okay? I promise.”

Adrien frowned, slightly. “Would you tell us if you weren’t?”

The words remained unspoken, but it was clear Adrien was talking about Lila. Marinette had let that ruminate for years without telling anybody.

“I would,” Marinette answered confidently. “Would you?”

Her eyes met Adrien’s, lips pursed as if in a challenge, and Adrien was about to answer when a shrill “Adrikins!” interrupted their conversation. Four heads turned as Chloe barrelled straight into Adrien, arms constricting around his sides like a snake. Nino’s eyes widened slightly at the abruptness of it all; one moment, he was fine, and the next he was being squeezed of all his air.

“Good morning, Chloe,” Adrien wheezed out. His shoulders were tense.

Adrien made eye contact with Nino. Nino, in question, raised three fingers. Was he okay?

Adrien raised three fingers by his side – the signal that he was slightly uncomfortable, but it was bearable. Chloe began ranting about something or other that had happened to her the day before, arms tightening.

Nino raised a disbelieving eyebrow. Adrien put a finger down, leaving two. He was uncomfortable. Nino needed to intervene.

“Anyway,” Chloe continued, letting go of Adrien just as suddenly as she’d latched onto him, giving Nino no time to even plan Adrien’s escape. He watched as Adrien tried to appear attentive, placing his model-smile on and nodding obediently as Chloe continued her story. He watched as tension he couldn’t even see drained out of Adrien’s body at the loss of contact. He watched as, even after Chloe had ran off to join Sabrina, Adrien’s eyes remained on her like a hawk’s, staying on guard, just in case.

As if they’d all had the same thought process, Marinette took one of Adrien’s arms, nestling herself into his side and trying her best to offer comfort. Kim grabbed his bag on the other side, before swinging an arm around Adrien’s neck, almost socking Marinette in the face. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I did _not_ do the Physics homework,” he said, beginning to steer the three up the steps and into the school. “Think you could help me, Adrien?”

Nino didn’t hear Adrien’s response – the three were already halfway up the stairs. And he was suddenly hit with the situation in front of him.

He’d had the thought, but it was his two friends that had acted, and helped Adrien when he needed them. And now the three of them… it was like they were slipping away from him.

He could barely make conversation with Kim, and the only time he _really_ talked with Mari was on their walks to school – which he knew, she didn’t need to have. And he’d lost his girlfriend, and now every moment he wanted to spend with his best friend, he couldn’t alone, because he’d spent years watching him go through all this _shit_ and hadn’t realized, and had had to live with that.

Maybe he deserved to lose them. Maybe he deserved to be replaced.

The group stopped walking, and from Adrien’s side, Marinette turned, eyebrows drawn together cutely. She held out the hand that wasn’t attached to Adrien, smiling softly. “Hurry up!” She called, smiling.

Nino found himself mirroring the expression. He took the steps – two at a time, which prompted a laugh from Kim, and held Marinette’s hand. No, he reminded himself. Blaming himself would get him nowhere. Focus on the present, and the future.

Everything would be alright.

* * *

“Where is he?”

“I don’t know,” Marinette groaned from Kim’s desk chair, where she was spinning herself in endless circles. “Why don’t you call him?”

“I tried,” Kim said. He was hanging uncomfortably off the sid eof his bed, head upside down. “He won’t pick up.”

“I tried, too,” Nino offered from a beanbag. “His phone isn’t off… maybe his fencing class just ran over?”

Marinette let her chair slow to a stop, looking at him. “You don’t think his bodyguard picked him up?”

“No way!” Nino reassured. “I got him an action figure – and he promised to leave ten minutes late. Parisian traffic is a _bitch.”_

“Woah, bad language!” Kim chuckled. “Also, Mari, stop spinning. You’re making me dizzy.”

“But I’m not spinning anymore,” she said. “I think all the blood’s rushing to your head.”

“What?” Kim exclaimed, sitting up quickly and turning himself so he faced them again. “Woah… now I’m dizzy. I didn’t know what true dizziness was until this moment.”

“You have reached dizzy enlightenment,” Nino offered.

“Good one, bro, but I feel a little too sick to laugh.”

Marinette winced. “Want some water?”

Kim shook his head, slapping his cheeks a few times. “Nope! I’m all good. Thanks, though.”

Marinette nodded, beginning to turn herself in the chair again. A second later, Kim’s ringtone filled the room.

“Hey!” Kim picked up.

 _‘Is it Adrien?’,_ Nino mouthed.

He shook his head. “No, I’m not busy, _Alix,”_ he began, walking out of the room. “What’s up?”

Almost as soon as he’d disappeared, Marinette stopped spinning, stretching her arms over her head. “I swear, we have to set those two up.”

Nino chuckled. “We have the plan, right?”

“Mhm. It’s just… they act like a couple. Can’t they get over themselves?”

“Says you,” he raised an eyebrow at Marinette, who promptly turned crimson.

“Adrien and I don’t act like a couple! We’re just friends.”

The edges of Nino’s lips turned up slightly, and he was about to continue his onslaught of teasing when his phone rang. Marinette took the extra second to press her cold hands to her burning cheeks.

“Hey Adrien,” Nino answered, shooting Marinette a grin when her eyes darted to him at the mention of her crushes name. “Oh, you’re here? Well Marinette will be down in a second. I would come, but I’m doing homework… see you in a minute!”

He hung up, making eye contact with Marinette, who’s cheeks were brighter than they were before. “What?” She hissed, as if Adrien was listening. “Why me? I’ll explode, Nino!”

“No, you won’t. Just go!”

“But-“

“He’s waiting, Nette.” Nino stood up to pull Marinette out of the chair, prompting a groan from her. “Go get him!”

She only shot him a glare as she descended down the stairs.

A moment later she returned, dragging both Adrien and Kim into the room. Kim said his goodbyes, hanging up the phone, and resuming a much more comfortable position on his bed. Adrien made a beeline for the beanbag chair next to Nino, putting his bag down and beginning to pull out a textbook.

“Woah, Adrien,” Kim chuckled. “What are you doing?”

Adrien looked up, between the three. “Homework. Nino said…”

Nino shrugged. “Sorry, dude. Not anymore.”

“Oh.” He said softly, putting the textbook and leaning back into the beanbag. “Then why are we here?”

Marinette looked to Kim, who looked to Nino, who sighed, looking over to Adrien. “We actually wanted to talk about you,” he said. “We’re worried about you, Adrien.”

Adrien’s features morphed into surprise, and he smiled slightly, tracing each person’s face for humour. When he couldn’t find any, his own drooped. “What do you mean?”

“We…” Kim took over. “We think your dad’s a dick.”

“Oh.” He said again. “Well, yeah.”

Nino paused. “ _Yeah?”_

Adrien shrugged. “I’m pretty sure his parenting counts as neglect, and he is sort of a dick.”

Marinette let out a sharp laugh. “But… you don’t speak about it.”

“Why would I?” He asked. “It’s such a downer, and I manage. I’ve only got, like, eight more months of it. Then I’m free.”

Nino cleared his throat. “Actually, that’s what we were talking about,” he said. “How would you feel about getting emancipated? Sue-ing your dad, maybe?”

“I can do that?”

“Probably,” Kim chuckled. “Damn, I thought you’d be weirded out as hell by this.”

“I know my dad – and if he gets a lawsuit put against him, he deserves it.”

“Okay,” Nino cleared his throat to provide a moment to centre his thoughts. “Well, if we’re going to do this, we need to know everything.”

Adrien nodded in understanding, clasping his hands together so as not to fidget with his fingers. “Well, there’s the neglect,” he said. “That’s… years, I think. Since my mom died. I saw him a couple times a month, at most.”

Nino did his best to keep the pity off his face, although it gripped his soul. The sadness. Instead, he swallowed it back until he could speak again. “How about working hours?” Nino asked.

“All within regulation,” Adrien said. “He has an assistant for that. Legally, he’s within all the lines.”

Nino frowned. “What about physically?” Kim butted in.

Adrien’s eyes widened almost at the same time as Nino’s did, and he turned to Kim, ready to shoot him a look that very clearly stated ‘ease up,’ when Adrien said, “Barely.”

His head flew back to face Adrien, who was shrugging. “If I don’t see him that much, he can’t really hit me,” he said. “And he’s only hit me a couple times.”

“Do you have proof?” Asked Marinette, before clapping her hands over her mouth. “Not in a bad way! I trust you, it’s just, the court…”

“No photos,” Adrien said. “I have diary entries, though. Specific dates. I’m used to writing my day in great detail – it becomes a habit when you have nobody to talk to.”

There it was again. The sadness.

“What about the people that had to directly deal with the bruises?” Kim asked. “We could probably get statements, right? Makeup artists, photographers…”

“But this was years ago,” Adrien said.

“And most people don’t show up to photoshoots bruised, Adrien,” Marinette said softly. “Even if it’s a long shot, it’s worth reaching out…”

Nino nodded. “Okay, what else?”

“There’s…” Adrien began, before he sighed. “No. There’s a lot that he’s done that isn’t… illegal.”

“Like what?” Marinette stood, walking over to Adrien, and took a seat on the floor next to him, offering her hand. He took it, squeezing tightly for a second. She offered a tight smile, thumb stroking the back of his hand comfortingly.

“We… we go to social gatherings a lot. And my father has been making me flirt with the important people, to sweeten business deals, or something.”

“For how long?” Asked Kim. Nino didn’t have to look to see his fists were clenched so tightly his nails were probably carving indents into his palms.

“Since I was sixteen,” Adrien said. “Before, I had to smile and deal with the one-sided stuff, but… after my birthday, it was like he was encouraging it. He said I should ‘go along with it, no matter how far it leads.’ So, I did.”

Kim stood suddenly. “Fuck the law. The only court hearing we’ll have is for me after I murder your father.”

Adrien let out a breathless chuckle. “You guys are sweet,” he said earnestly, head ducking slightly to try to hide the sheen of tears. “But you don’t need to worry. I always stopped it if they wanted to… go somewhere else to continue.”

Marinette placed a chaste kiss to the back of his hand, and there was nothing romantic about it. Although the contact was small, Nino saw how it physically affected Adrien. The boy was so touch starved.

He stood, outstretching his arms. “Cuddle pile!” He declared, jumping onto the beanbag and landing half on Adrien’s knees, with his face next to Marinette’s long enough to see her grin as she processed the words, before pulling Adrien down into her arms.

A moment later, Nino felt all the air pressed out of him as Kim jumped on the group, his arms encircling the group wholly somehow, because he was big, but not big enough for _that_ to be physically possible.

Adrien laughed tearily. “You guys are making me wanna cry,” he admitted.

“Me too,” Marinette mumbled into Adrien’s shoulder, sniffling slightly.

Adrien groaned half-jokingly. “Mariiiii,” he whined. “If you cry, I’ll cry.”

“Too bad,” Nino felt Marinette’s legs shift as she burrowed further into Adrien’s embrace. “I’m crying.”

“Okay,” Adrien said. And then, a second later, the sobs hit.

* * *

A while later, long enough for Adrien to get it all out of his system, and the group to reach the agreement that the next event he was going to, they were _all_ going to whilst the sun set, Nino had to excuse himself. “Oh,” Adrien said, wiping at his face for the tenth time that evening even though he didn’t even _look_ like he’d been crying anymore. “Do you and Marinette want a lift home?”

“Actually,” Nino let his lips curl up slightly. “I’m not going the usual route today – I need to stop somewhere. I don’t need a lift, but I’m sure Marinette would appreciate one.”

Both of them turned to the girl in question, who had straightened up from re-packing her school bag, and was staring at the two, jaw on the floor. “Careful,” Nino teased. “You’ll catch flies.”

Adrien shifted on his feet, mistaking Marinette’s reaction as uncomfort. “What do you say?” He asked.

Mouth still wide open, she nodded slowly. Nino had to avert his eyes slightly to avoid laughing as Adrien sighed in relief, going to call Nathalie for a ride.

Kim intercepted him, eyebrows raised. “Stopping somewhere? Is it the truth, or is it your ultimate wingman skills?”

Nino chuckled. “A bit of both. I do have to go somewhere before I go home, but it is also the knowledge that those two will be falling over each other for 20 minutes that allows me to suffer the cold and walk to where I need to be.”

Kim slapped him on the back, grinning. “Well then I applaud you, brave soldier, for your sacrifice.”

Nino chuckled, pulling Kim into a hug, before hugging Marinette and Adrien, too. “See you tomorrow!” He called, waving as they got into the car.

The walk wasn’t as cold as he was expecting, and he walked quickly. No less than ten minutes later, he was outside his destination. A café five minutes’ walk from Alya’s house.

He entered, and was greeted by the flush of warm air on his cheeks. He spotted Alya almost immediately, her red hair a dead-giveaway. He made his way over, ditching his schoolbag under the table, and sitting down. If he was late – which was probable – she didn’t say anything about it.

He cleared his throat softly. “Hey,” he started, fingers under the table meeting, to try and warm them up, in case he needed to take her hand. “You wanted to talk? Well, I’m ready to listen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there is a lot to unpack here!!! mainly my poor, poor baby adrien
> 
> thoughts? comments? let me know if you enjoyed! and thank you so much for reading <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the adrienette is strong, but so is the angst :/. Enjoy!!

“I look like shit,” Kim groaned, turning to see himself at different angles in the mirror. “This suit is so stiff – and my _hair…”_

“You look fine,” Nino chuckled. “At least you have a suit that fits.” He looked down at his own. The blazer was slightly too big, and he was still in his jeans, waiting patiently as Mari cuffed his too-long trousers. His suit was a rental – Adrien had bought it, but the event they were going to was such a late-notice, he guessed sizes. Kim’s somehow fit perfectly, showing off broad shoulders and toned muscles, but Nino was left feeling a little like a sealed envelope.

Kim turned to him, gesturing to his hair. The usually tall quiff had been tamed, and brushed down at either side of Kim’s face to hide the half-buzzcut. Marinette had done it – and to Nino, it actually looked pretty good. “My head looks round, Nino.” He sighed. “And not, like, in a good way. Can your head look round in a good way?”

“You look like an e-boy,” Nino commented. “You have the parting, and the volume.”

Kim frowned, looking at his hair and brushing the top of it gently with one hand, so as not to disturb the gel. “A little bit,” he said. “I _am_ famous on TikTok.”

Nino raised an eyebrow. “Then why don’t people react to you in the streets?”

“Not famous in Paris,” Kim defended. “The Americans love me, though. I’ve got, like, 200,000 followers.”

“Damn,” Nino chuckled. “Well then you should make a TikTok and find out what your fans think of your hair.”

Kim blinked. “That’s actually such a good idea, dude,” he grinned, and moved to get his phone from Marinette’s desk. “You want to be in it, or…?”

Nino shook his head. “Not until I’m wearing a full suit,” he chuckled, gesturing to his jeans. Kim nodded, scrolling through the app.

The hum of the sewing machine stopped, and Marinette appeared from around the corner, holding his trousers. “I hope these fit,” she said, handing them over. “Be careful when you put them on – I’m going to finish my makeup.”

Nino nodded, beginning to put on the trousers as Kim set up the camera behind him. Marinette darted into the bathroom. She’d done bits of her makeup – but her eyes looked plain in comparison to her done-up complexion. And she was still in pyjamas.

“Nino, dude,” Kim chuckled. “If you don’t want to be in my video, pants-less, get that shit on.”

Oh. Right. Nino moved out of the way, continuing to get dressed.

They were being picked up in twenty minutes – in Adrien’s car, to go to a fashion event that he had to attend with his father. Last week, when Marinette had said they’d all go with him, Nino didn’t really know if she was serious – but the day before, they got two suits and a dress (with a note attached, saying ‘Mari, if you have a better dress you’ve made yourself, wear it!’) delivered to Marinette’s house, as well as a quick text explaining Adrien wouldn’t be in school all Friday, and he’d pick them up to go to the event together.

Nino tossed his jeans aside, picking up his own phone and beginning to scroll through Instagram. Maybe he’d get TikTok, too. Show Kim some support.

Marinette ran out of the bathroom, makeup complete, and began rummaging through her dresser. A moment later, she pulled out a red dress, running back into the bathroom.

Kim, apparently, had finished his video, and was watching it, probably making edits. As far as Nino had seen, he’d just been lip-syncing to some song.

The doorbell rang, and Marinette’s, “Shit!” sounded through the room. Nino laughed.

“You alright?” He asked, putting his phone away and moving towards the bathroom door.

Marinette came out of the door, facing her back to him. “Zip me up,” she said.

He obeyed, zipping the silky fabric up. The dress was long, but plain – it clung to her petite figure at the top, before willowing out slightly at the bottom. “Thank you,” she breathed. “Shoes. I need shoes. Are you guys wearing shoes?”

Kim nodded, but Nino’s eyes widened. He didn’t have ‘dressy’ shoes.

Marinette took one look at his face, and also blanched. “What colour are your trainers?” She asked.

They both looked at the trainers he’d left on the floor. They were black, with red accents.

“Whatever,” she chuckled, pulling up her dress to slip on a pair of heels. “We’re not famous – they can’t judge us. Just say you and I are matching.”

“Aww,” Kim pouted. “I want to match, too.”

Marinette grinned. “Do you want to wear my red rose earrings?”

He winced, shaking his head, a finger going to the single black stud in his ear. “On second thought…” he chuckled.

Marinette stood, straightening her dress out. “Alright,” she said. “That’s me. How do I look?”

“Good,” answered Nino, honestly. She did. It was totally understandable why half the class had a crush on her at some point – including him.

“You look incredible, Mari!” Kim wolf whistled. “Like some kind of heiress.”

Marinette blushed slightly. “You flatter me. Come on. Let’s go.”

The three went down the stairs, to be greeted by Marinette’s parents. “Oh, sweetie,” Sabine smiled tearily, pulling Marinette into a hug. “You look so beautiful!”

Marinette smiled. “Thank you, Maman. But we have to go – Adrien’s waiting!”

“One photo,” her father protested. Marinette gave a half-hearted groan, before returning to Nino and Kim, placing her arms around their waists. Kim complied, his arm going around Marinette’s shoulders. Nino couldn’t help the grin that came to his lips.

“Say, ‘cheese’!” Sabine said, holding up her phone. Nino held the smile until his cheeks hurt, and Sabine had sufficiently filled her camera roll. “Alright,” she said. “You all know the drill. Be safe, no drinking, and-“

“No setting anything on fire,” they chorused.

“We won’t, Mrs Dupain-Cheng!” Kim said confidently. “There probably isn’t anything to set on fire there.”

“Well… we’ll know soon enough, won’t we?” Tom smiled. “You all look so grown up. Have fun – but not too much fun.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Maman! Papa! Adrien’s been waiting for ages now!”

“Yes, yes,” Sabine chuckled. “Go on, then. Can’t keep your boyfriend waiting.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, but didn’t disprove Sabine’s comment as she led the way out of the bakery. Adrien’s bodyguard was standing outside the car, and opened the door when he caught sight of the three teens.

“Hey,” Nino said as he got into the car, squished between Mari and Kim. Adrien sat on Marinette’s other side, hair gelled back and wearing a crisp, dark suit. “You clean up well,”

“I’d say the same, but…” Adrien chuckled, gesturing to Nino’s shoes.

“Whatever,” Nino adjusted himself, moving to give Kim room to put on his seatbelt. “Let’s just say it was a fashion choice.”

“You all look great,” Adrien repeated – except this time he was staring straight at Marinette, who’s own eyes were on her newly painted nails, in her lap. Her cheeks heated almost to match the shade of her dress, and she looked up.

“You look good, too,” she supplied a small smile. Besides him, Kim mimicked being sick at their lovey eye-contact.

“You really think?” She looked down to her dress. “We’re going to a party of fashion designers, and I didn’t have time to redo a crooked seam…”

“I think you look perfect.” Nino smiled at that, and although Kim tried to hide his own, Nino could see it peeking through.

“Hooray to us,” Kim whispered to Nino. “The best third wheels ever.”

“More like the best wingmen,” Nino responded.

The car arrived at the venue, and Kim got out first, followed by Nino, followed by Adrien, who held out an arm to support Marinette as she got out on shaky legs. The four walked in through the camera flashes and bombardment of questions. Some were asking who Nino and Kim were, but since Marinette had made no move to let go of Adrien’s arm, and Adrien seemed to be cherishing the contact, most of the reporters were asking if this was his ‘secret girlfriend.’

Gods, if Lila could see her now, Nino thought.

* * *

At first, Adrien brought his three friends around as he socialised, but apparently the elite can smell middle class from a mile away, and so Adrien dropped them off at a table, before continuing to make his rounds. Mari, Kim and Nino sat pretty stagnant, making brief conversation and keeping an eye on Adrien, ready to rescue him if needs be. But a waiter came around offering champagne, and none of the teens were in a place to refuse.

Nino sipped slowly, eyes remaining on Adrien, who was talking to a group of adults. Probably famous fashion designers, his mind supplied – although he recognised one of them as a retired model. Seemingly harmless. Nothing like Adrien had described experiencing harassment from.

“Hey, Nino,” Kim said from besides him. The taller boy was at the bottom of his second or third glass, and the alcohol had loosened his lips and his inhibitions, a little. “How did that thing with Alya go?”

Marinette blinked. She’d taken a sip of her own champagne, pulled a face as if she were swallowing a lemon, and set it down. “What thing with Alya?”

“We went out for dinner, a few days ago,” said Nino. “To see if we could repair our relationship.”

“And how did it go?”

Nino spared another glance at Adrien, who was laughing - seemingly genuinely – at something someone had said, before returning to the conversation. “It went well,” he said with an exhale, “I think. We’re going on a date again this weekend – not as an apology-explaining sort of thing, but a date. I think we’ll be okay, if we work on it.”

Kim sat back, grinning. “I’m glad. You know, Nette, I never figured out how you forgave her so easily.”

Marinette narrowed her eyes slightly, grabbing the almost empty champagne glass from Kim’s hands. “You only call me Nette when you’re tipsy,” she said.

Kim shrugged. “Are you avoiding the question?”

“No… I don’t know. After Alya apologised, all she did was apologise, every five minutes. I asked her to stop, and we started getting along again. But every time anything to do with Lila comes up, she just seizes up. It can be really awkward, actually.”

“You don’t want to talk about it?” Nino asked. He spared a second looking over towards Adrien. He had moved slightly, talking to a different group of people, but seemed fine, comfortable.

“It’s not that... I wouldn’t mind talking about it, but whenever I try and talk it through, she just starts apologising over and over, and that’s not what I want. My therapist says it’ll take time before we’re normal again, and we should talk it through at a natural time.”

“How’s that?” Kim asked, leaning towards Marinette to get his champagne glass. She picked it up, pulling it out of reach; a second later, Kim had her old, almost-full glass at his lips, a satisfied smirk decorating his face.

“The therapy?” She questioned. “Give me that back and I’ll tell you.”

Reluctantly, Kim relinquished the glass. “It’s okay, I guess. My therapist is really nice. Her name’s Emma.”

“Do you feel safe talking to her about… everything?” Nino asked. “Like, isn’t it awkward?”

“No, not at all,” Marinette said. “The first session, she asked what I wanted out of therapy – and then because she could tell I was uncomfortable, we just discussed normal stuff, like the weather and TV. She told me about her daughter.”

“I’m glad,” Nino said honestly, “that it’s working out. You deserve it.”

Marinette pouted. “You’re too sweet for your own good,” she informed him. “Alya’s a lucky girl.”

Nino laughed at that, and turned his head, looking for Adrien. The blonde head of hair was not where he’d seen him two minutes prior.

“Where is he?” Kim asked from besides him, seemingly having gotten the same idea.

Nino’s eyes scoured the room, tracing the details of everybody’s faces. A stone of icy-cold dread settled into his stomach.

He found Adrien near the bar, with a drink in his hands. A girl – a woman, obviously older than him – had her hands on his shoulders, and was leaning into him, swaying softly with the music. Every muscle in Adrien’s body was tense – he looked as if he couldn’t move.

His eyes were clenched shut, and Nino soon noticed that the woman was whispering things into his ear. Vulgar things. Things a seventeen-year-old boy should not have to unwillingly hear.

Adrien’s eyes sprung open, and they found Nino’s from across the room. Nino was on his feet, making his way over before Adrien could even hold up a single finger.

What happened next was like a well-oiled machine. Nino ran over, bumping into people accidentally, but not really caring if he ruined his ‘image’, or whatever. Kim and Marinette were on his toes, and as soon as they reached him, they begun working.

Kim intercepted the woman, slinging an arm around her waist and pulling her off of Adrien, saying something about getting a drink. Marinette took Adrien’s hand, and used it to guide his arm around her shoulder, which she used to better support him as they walked.

Nino cleared the way, asking people to move and shooting what he hoped looked like relaxed smiles to distract from the fact that Adrien was on the brink of breaking down behind him. They made their way through the room quickly, entering the disabled bathroom and shutting the door. Marinette sat with Adrien, positioning him so his back was against the wall, knees bent up towards his chest.

“Breathe,” she was saying. “It’s okay; your name is Adrien Agreste, you are seventeen years old, you’re with your friends, you’re safe…”

A knock on the door had Nino standing up, and he opened it to see Kim. The hair Marinette had spent a half hour gelling for him was up in odd ends, revealing the nerves he was feeling even as he outwardly looked composed. Kim entered quickly, and Nino locked the door behind him.

Marinette was now hugging Adrien tightly, and his breathing was beginning to slow. “It’s okay, you’re safe,” she was whispering in his ear, over and over.

“That bitch,” Kim mumbled. “All over the underage famous kid, but takes one look at me and says ‘she’s not looking for anything.’ That bitch!”

“Oh, god,” Adrien’s voice cracked slightly, and his hands fell from around Marinette, who pulled back slightly. “That was Roland Giametti’s daughter… my Father is going to kill me…”

“I’ll kill him first,” Kim cracked his knuckles.

“Is that how it always is?” Nino asks, the dread returning and seating itself in his throat, preventing him from swallowing. When Adrien had first described the situation, some part of Nino had through he was over-exaggerating – with the way he’d downplayed it, and how could a father possibly whore out his own son? But now…

Adrien looked up at him. There were tear-tracks down his cheeks that Marinette’s delicate hands had missed. He nodded solemnly.

Kim cursed, and Marinette pulled Adrien back into a tight hug. “We’re leaving,” she announced. “If that’s how your Father treats your presence, he doesn’t deserve it.”

But all Nino could think about was the plan. They had to get it through. They had to stop this shit from happening.

They could help – but how?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!!! if you feel like it, leave a kudo or a comment if you enjoyed!!!
> 
> also woot woot there is one more chapter left and gabriel is going to be annihilated :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my goodness, we finished another!!!
> 
> a few notes before you read:  
> 1\. i have never had to contact a lawyer or be in court, and all that jazz. This is probably grossly inaccurate - so I ask you to politely ignore all of that and pretend it's cool :)  
> 2\. on that note, I must also remind you, I know nothing about law, and therefore about sentencing. We'll just ignore that, too.  
> 3\. i hope you enjoy reading this as much as i enjoyed writing this!!!

Nino had been looking for a lawyer high and low that would fight Adrien’s case. Their criteria was kind of simple; somebody good, not super expensive, and willing to go head-to-head with arguably the biggest fashion name in France.

That, however, left little to no candidates. Plus the fact that people apparently thought a seventeen-year-old calling them was ‘just a prank.’ Yeah, right.

He had taken to trading out his casual top for a dressy shirt (although his jeans and sneakers remained) and visiting the offices in person, so they could see he was dead serious. Plus, the fact that he wore glasses had never come in handy before – now, it made him look older.

However, Nino had not expected to run into Nathalie Sancoeur on a Tuesday afternoon, across the street from yet another law firm. Each one Nino tried was getting less and less likely that they’d take the case – he’d made his list from most to least ideal, and was over halfway through. He’d bumped into her, eyes on his phone following google maps to the building, and tried to move on – except she’d placed a hand on his arm, gently guiding him to the edge of the busy sidewalk so they wouldn’t be in the way.

“Nathalie?” He’d said – for good reason – when he caught a glimpse of her face. “What are you doing here?”

Nathalie, as far as Nino could remember, was a cold woman with neutral, faded eyes, immaculate makeup and lips always pulled into a tight line. Today, on the other hand, the eyes seemed to be alive – worry danced across the dark irises – and her mouth was forming words that didn’t seem to reach his ears over the busy Parisian chatter.

“Sorry, what?” He asked, pocketing his phone and resisting the urge to check the time on his watch. It would be rude, but he was pretty sure that specific firm took a lunch break, and he didn’t know quite when – but it was ten minutes until 1, and although his patience was strong, he wasn’t exactly willing to wait an hour in a stuffy lobby.

“I heard you’re looking for a lawyer,” she said.

“You did?” He found himself asking, although the answer was obvious. “How?”

“It isn’t important.”

Nino frowned slightly at that. Had Adrien told her? Did Adrien really trust her that much?

“You want to stop me?”

She shook her head. “On the contrary; I want to help.”

That took a second to sink in. Nino stood, trying to process – but the only words he could scrounge up were, “what?”

Nathalie sighed. “There’s only so much child neglect you can ignore. Take this,” she held out a business card, “and tell them Nathalie recommended you. He’s passionate, and really good at what he does.”

Apparently, words had not come back to Nino yet, because all he could say was, “what?”

“Call this number. Tell them Nathalie recommended you. And… good luck.”

Nino looked at the card, and then looked up, ready to ask some question – but Nathalie interrupted with a brisk, “I have to go,” before she slipped away into the crowd.

He looked at the card again. Well, apparently, he was going back to making calls.

* * *

The meeting was set up quickly, and found Nino with Adrien in a large conference-like room that he’d only ever seen in movies. They sat on one side of the table, and a team of three people sat opposite, leafing through the notes Nino had made.

“It’s not much,” he said, feeling slightly self-conscious of the scribbled sheets of all the ‘evidence’ they’d collected. This kind of stuff may have worked well for Marinette – in a non-professional, school environment. But this was the real deal, and it was making him feel way out of his depth.

“So,” the first one; the main one, from what Nino had seen so far, said, “you’re pushing for emancipation on the basis of child neglect?”

Nino looked to Adrien, who didn’t seem to be up for speaking, if the fidgeting he was doing with his hands was any indication – before nodding. “We don’t want him to just get put in the system for a year until he ages out of it,” he explained. “So emancipation would be good.”

The lawyer nodded. “And are we pushing for a prison sentence?”

Adrien’s hands stopped fidgeting. “We can _do_ that?”

“Well, yeah,” he chuckled slightly. “No offence, kid, but it’s that or a fine – and I don’t think people like your pops are gonna be terribly affected by one of those.”

Adrien nodded. “Ok. How do we do that?”

The lawyer settled back in his seat, clearing his throat. “Well, there are four types of neglect – medical, educational, emotional and physical. For you, since there’s evidence of a medical record, we can charge on the basis of two, maybe three. From there, we can take it to trial, get a jury, and push the idea that a fine will do nothing to him, so prison time is the only acceptable punishment.”

Nino nodded, looking once again at Adrien. It was almost laughable how much of an open book the boy was; his eyebrows were drawn together, creating a harsh line between them, and his knee was bouncing softly. He was probably feeling guilty.

“Alright,” said Nino. “Can we do that?”

“Sure,” the lawyer said. Nino wished he could recall his name; it had been on the card, but in his excitement he’d barely looked at it, instead almost memorising the phone number. “Anything else?”

“Actually,” Nino said, “I was wondering if we could sue him for child labour, or something, because Adrien’s been overworked since he was nearly a baby. Is that something we can do?”

The lawyer let an easy smile come to his face. “I like the way you think, kid.” He said, leaning forwards. “What do you think?”

The woman next to him voiced her approval. “Alright,” said the lawyer. “We’ll keep you two updated, but other than taking statements, there ain’t much you can do. Best to go home, get some good sleep, and leave it with us.”

The two stood, and the lawyer held out a hand for Nino to shake. “Thank you,” Nino found himself saying again, even though he hadn’t been able to stop, over the phone and then when they first met up. “Thank you so much.”

The lawyer let go of his hand. “It’s ok, kid. I did pick this job to help people like your friend.”

With a nod and a few more goodbye’s, Nino and Adrien found themselves in an elevator heading back into the real world. Nino snuck a look at the card – the same card he hadn’t removed from his jean pocket. ‘Ebel Robinson,’ it said. Ebel. Not particularly judicious.

Then again, neither was ‘Nino.’

He looked over to Adrien, who’s fists were clenched so tightly in his shirt that they were turning white enough to match it. “Hey, dude,” he started quietly. “You alright?”

“I never said thank you,” Adrien choked out. “To him – or you, or Mari, or Kim. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

By the end, Nino had grabbed Adrien’s hand, helping them relax, and helping to focus Adrien. “It’s alright, man,” he said. “I’d do it again – I fucking love you.”

Adrien let out a surprised laugh, pulling Nino into a tight hug. Nino felt as his ribs began to protest, but he settled for wrapping his arms around Adrien, too, and returning the death-squeeze.

“I love you, too.” Adrien said. “I’m just… I’m so thankful I met all of you, when I went to school.”

“Me, too,” Nino said earnestly. “Honestly.”

The elevator beeped, and the two sprung away from each other, making their way into the lobby of the firm. “I love you,” Adrien said again. “I love you.”

Nino laughed. “I love you too. But you know who loves you more? Marinette.”

Adrien chuckled at that, and the sound was teary, and soft, and so unnaturally _happy_ for Adrien that Nino had to stop and look at him for a second. Adrien was smiling.

He wasn’t just smiling. He was _glowing._

And soon enough, he’d be thriving, with an apartment of his own, and no horrible excuse for a father-figure looming over his head.

“Marinette, huh?” Nino continued as they left the building, walking down the sidewalk. “What are your feelings towards her? Now that we’re on the topic, of course.”

Adrien looked straight at Nino, and he could’ve sworn the boy’s eyes had never been more bright green. “I love her,” he said as if it were a revelation. “I love her, and I love you, and I love Kim, and Kagami, and Luka, and-“

“Woah, there,” Nino placed a hand on Adrien’s shoulder. He got that Adrien was never really one to understand affectionate social cues – but it was like all at once he discovered that loving somebody wasn’t just reserved for the person you were going to marry. Love came in all different forms, and shapes, and sizes, and it made the world so much bigger. “But, like, seriously. You like Marinette?”

“Like I want to date Marinette?” Adrien caught on. “Well, yeah. She’s kind, and pretty, and funny, and pretty…”

“What about Ladybug?” Nino questioned casually. “I thought you really liked her.”

Adrien’s face lit up with the same goofy smile it always did when Nino mentioned the spotted hero, and he sighed over-dramatically. “There will always be a spot in my heart for My Lady.”

His Lady? Wait… why did that sound familiar?

“I love her,” he continued. “I love you, too. And Max, and Alix, and Rose, and Ivan…”

* * *

The trial, in both its parts, lasted a total of 5 days. Two separate juries were brought in for the neglect, and the child labour. Gabriel got 5 years in prison, with a further 2 on parole – and whilst they hadn’t set the exact amount he would be fined, yet, Mister Robinson assured that it would be more than enough to live on; the fining system worked on a sliding scale, and Gabriel was _rich._

Adrien hadn’t had to be there every day – only when he had to give a witness statement – but Nino sat through the whole thing, taking notes, glaring at Gabriel when he got the chance, and cheering with their legal team when they won both cases.

After the final day, and the win, Adrien had come back to Nino’s house. It wasn’t something they had greatly discussed, but Nathalie had got back in touch with Adrien, and had apparently said that she’d pack up all his things for him and bring them over. Nino felt slightly guilty that his room was much smaller than Adrien’s; and much less than what he was used to. But the blonde really didn’t seem to mind – in fact, as Nino watched Adrien playing Mario Kart with Chris in the living room, face animated with excitement, he felt like it was all going to be okay.

“I still don’t understand why you don’t want a house,” Kim said a little over a week later, as they walked into another empty apartment for sale. “I mean, you could _afford_ it. And with an apartment you’d have to pay rent. That’s just a hassle.”

“I don’t like big, empty spaces,” Adrien responded. The foursome (which was a name they were still working on, but that was beginning to stick) had discovered a systematic way of exploring the spaces Adrien had picked out – spreading quickly and checking that ‘bedrooms’ weren’t just broom closets, and that the whole place wasn’t just a glorified dump truck.

“There’s a spare room, big enough for a double,” Marinette called as she came back into the room. “Or, like, an office – if you ever want one. It’s cute; come check it out.”

Adrien nodded, following Mari into the room and leaving Kim with Nino. “Dude,” said Kim, turning in a slow circle, “once he gets this place decorated, we could have another sleepover!”

“And I assume you’d want alcohol?”

“Hell yeah!” Kim grinned. “I don’t know the people in this neighbourhood! I can’t possibly embarrass myself.”

Adrien and Marinette emerged from the ‘bedroom’, both slightly flushed. Nino looked them both over, before raising an eyebrow at Mari. Had they kissed?

She shook her head, subtly. Not yet. Damn. He really had to get on that.

“So you like it?” Kim asked.

“Yeah,” Adrien said with an exhale, as if It were a weight off his chest. “I think we should go and see a few others, but… this one is really nice.”

“And you’re not just saying it because we like it?” Marinette asked. Adrien shook her head.

“Man, I am _so_ glad you like it,” Kim begun, “because it’s prime sleepover material! You could fit, like, two sofas in here – plus a _TV…”_

Kim continued as they exited the building, ranting about how the apartment was just small enough to be cosy without being stifling. Nino chuckled, receiving the majority of the feedback as they walked, side-by-side.

He almost didn’t catch that behind him, Marinette had slipped her hand into Adrien’s.

* * *

Later that night, Nino was up on the Ladyblog, because Alya had sent him a frantic text asking if the formatting was right, and the video was okay. After the whole Lila fiasco, she’d taken a break from posting regularly, instead giving the readers a massive apology and dedicating almost a month to rewriting and erasing all of the lies. This would be her first post after the misunderstanding; a light-hearted video she’d been set to post before the whole thing. But because it was _now,_ she was freaking out about it.

And as her newly-restored boyfriend, it was his job to reassure her.

He clicked onto the familiar page, scrolling past the introduction. It was a link to a YouTube video she’d made, titled ‘Compilation of Chat Noir’s best and worst nicknames for Ladybug – Rated’. Below it was a perfectly formatted comment.

‘It’s perfect, babe,’ he texted. ‘Good job!’

And then, just because he could, he clicked on the video.

It was exactly what Nino had expected: Alya, voicing over photos of Chat Noir, the nicknames, clips of Chat Noir using the nicknames, and why it was good, or bad. Two minutes in and Alya reached the nickname ‘My Lady.’ That rung a bell in Nino’s mind – one that he didn’t connect until footage of Chat Noir saying, “My Lady,” came up.

Chat Noir sounded _remarkably_ like Adrien. And with the looks, and the demeanour…

Holy shit.

But if Adrien was Chat Noir, and Marinette was Ladybug…

This was going to be _so much fun._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ^^let's do it baby I (don't) know the law
> 
> ghfjdifj if anybody ever says I don't like open, ambiguous endings, they're wrong. Whilst another work is not planned, it may come with time (like, at the start, when I was writing Revenge, I never dreamt it would be a 3-work-series!)
> 
> Anyway, thank you so much for reading <3 If you enjoyed, leave a kudo, or a comment!! They really make my day :)
> 
> Edit like a week after this was published: there will definitely be another work ;)


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